BARCELONA: PARKS AND GARDENS

In previous posts I talked about some well-known parks in Barcelona like the Park Güell or Ciutadella Park. Of course, in Barcelona there are more nice parks, as I will show you in this post. Some of them are really lovely, like Laberint d'Horta Park or Joan Maragall Gardens.

In addition to this parks, Barcelona has a large green area: Montjuïc, where you can walk from garden to garden.

These are the parks, gardens and leisure areas I will show you in this post:

• Laberint d'Horta Park
• Park Güell
• Ciutadella Park
• Pedralbes Gardens
• Montjuïc - Joan Maragall Gardens
• Montjuïc - Mossèn Cinto Verdaguer Gardens
• Montjuïc - Mirador Gardens
• Montjuïc - Mirador del Migdia Park
• Joan Miró Park
• Cervantes Park and Rose Garden
• Castell de l'Oreneta Park
• Collserola - Sant Pere Màrtir leisure area
• Collserola - Carretera de les Aigües
• Collserola - Pantà de Vallvidrera

Laberint d'Horta Park

This maze is one of the main attractions in Laberint d'Horta Park, a really lovely park. I strongly recommend visiting it in spite of being a little out of downtown

Park Güell

Main entrance to the Park Güell, one of the masterpieces of modernism in Barcelona

Colourful benchs in Park Güell, one of the most famous elements of this beautiful park designed by Antoni Gaudí

Ciutadella Park

Jets and dragons are two of the main elements of the fountain of Ciutadella Park

Overview of the fountain of Ciutadella Park

Romantic image of Ciutadella Park, one of the largest parks in Barcelona and located near the old town and the Barcelona Gothic Quarter

Pedralbes Gardens

This nice pond with a marble sculpture in the middle is what you see as soon as you begin to walk inside the Pebralbes Gardens in Barcelona

Joan Maragall Gardens in Montjuïc

Joan Maragall Gardens, a really lovely place in Montjuïc to walk on saturday or sunday morning

Overview of Joan Maragall Gardens from the main entrance of the Palauet Albéniz. These gardens are located next to the Olympic ring in Montjuïc

Mossèn Cinto Verdaguer Gardens in Montjuïc

Mossèn Cinto Verdaguer Gardens, located next to Montjuïc Castle, are a really peaceful place to walk and to spend a lovely sunday morning with the children

Mirador Gardens in Montjuïc

From the Montjuïc Castle I could enjoy this view of the Mirador Gardens and the twin towers of the Olympic Village

Mirador del Migdia Park in Montjuïc

Behind the moat of the Montjuïc Castle you can see the Mirador del Migdia Park

Cliking on this image of Montjuïc you will see the location of all the parks and gardens in Montjuïc, as well as the Olympic ring, the Magical Fountain and the Montjuïc Castle

Joan Miró Park

Joan Miró Park is a large park located next to Las Arenas Shopping center

Palms in Joan Miró Park in Barcelona

Cervantes Park and Rose Garden

The Cervantes Rose Garden has around 10,000 rosebushes of some 2,000 species and different varieties that, at the peak flowering period - between May and July - may produce 150,000 roses blooming at a time

The Cervantes park in Barcelona is a magnificent and very open green space that is distinguished by its large expanses of grass, wide pathways and the gentleness of the slope of the land

Castell de l'Oreneta Park

Fantastic view of Barcelona from Castell de l'Oreneta Park

 Picnic area in Castell de l'Oreneta Park

Railway in Oreneta Park in Barcelona

Sant Pere Màrtir leisure area in Collserola

Sant Pere Màrtir leisure area in Collserola

Pantà de Vallvidrera in Collserola

Pantà de Vallvidrera in Barcelona

Carretera de les Aigües

From Carretera de les Aigües you can enjoy fantastic views of Barcelona

Below you have some links to get more information about these parks and gardens:

• Laberint d'Horta Park
• Park Güell
• Ciutadella Park
• Pedralbes Gardens
• Montjuïc - Joan Maragall Gardens
• Montjuïc - Mirador Gardens
• Castell de l'Oreneta Park
• Collserola - Sant Pere Màrtir leisure area
• Collserola - Carretera de les Aigües
• Collserola - Pantà de Vallvidrera
• Torreblanca Park in Sant Feliu de Llobregat
• Can Vidalet Park in Esplugues de Llobregat
• Can Mercader Park in Cornellà de Llobregat

Finally, clicking on the next link you will find links to other beautiful places in Barcelona, among them, more nice places to walk in Montjuïc and, of course, along the Barcelona beach and the Olympic Marina.

SPAIN: TAPEO IN ZARAGOZA

It is a pleasure to go de tapeo in Zaragoza and enter one of these bars full of tapas where it becomes difficult to choice. 

But sometimes some bars choose the option of specialization, like La Cueva de Aragón or La Ballena Colorá.

The bars and restaurants I will speak about below are located near El Tubo, a street whose official name is Calle de los Estebanes. Besides I went to these bars and restaurants with a relative who lives in Zaragoza, so these bars are some of the best ones of Zaragoza.

- La Cueva de Aragón

• Address: Calle de la Libertad, 16

- La Ballena Colorá

• Address: Calle de la Libertad, 16

- Vinos Nicolás

• Address: Calle Estebanés, 4

- Erzo

• Address: Calle Santa Catalina
• Website: erzotapas.com

- El Portón

• Calle Estudios

El Tubo (Calle de los Estebanes)

Calle de los Estebanes (Estebanes Street), also known as El Tubo, is the best place to enjoy Tapas in Zaragoza

Mudejar bell tower beside Calle de los Estebanes (Estebanes Street), also known as El Tubo, in Zaragoza

La Cueva de Aragón

Tapa de Champiñones (Mushrooms Tapa) we enjoyed in La Cueva de Aragón in Zaragoza

La Ballena Colorá

Montaditos (small sandwiches) of with anchovies and pepper in La Ballena Colorá Snack Bar in Zaragoza

Vinos Nicolás

Croqueta de Jamón Ibérico (Iberian Ham Croquette), Taco de Ternera Picante (spicy beef piece) and Carioca (stuffed mussel) we enjoyed in Zaragoza

Erzo Restaurant

Erzo restaurant in Zaragoza

Montadito (small sandwich), Pimiento relleno (Stuffed red pepper) y Croqueta de Jamón Ibérico (Iberian Ham Croquette) we enjoyed in Erzo restaurant in Zaragoza

El Portón

Table with different kinds of cheese, pate and prosciutto we enjoyed in El Portón snack bar in Zaragoza

Other restaurants you can try in Zaragoza are:

• Estudios Snack Bar (Calle Estudios, Estudios Street)
• El Fuelle Restaurant (Calle Mayor, Mayor Street)

If you are interested in visiting Zaragoza, below you have the most interesting places of this city:

• Basílica del Pilar
• Area of the Expo Zaragoza 2008
• Aljafería Palace
• Mudéjar church of San Pablo
• Seo or Cathedral of Zaragoza
• Church of Santa María Magdalena
• Lonja
• Mudéjar Tower of Zuda
• Parque Grande

Finally, other beautiful places you can visit in Spain are:


- Catalonia

• Costa Brava in Catalonia
• Barcelona
• Girona

- Basque Country

• Bilbo - Bilbao
• Getaria, Zarautz and Hondarribia in San Sebastián

- Cantabria

• Cantabria
• Santander, Comillas and Santillana del Mar in Cantabria

- Granada

• La Alhambra, Albaicín and Sacromonte in Granada

- Sevilla, Córdoba, Cádiz and Costa de la Luz

• Sevilla
• Córdoba
• Cádiz and Costa de la Luz

- Toledo, Madrid, El Escorial and Segovia

• Toledo, Segovia, Monasterio del Escorial near Madrid

- Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera

• Sóller, Port de Sóller, Deià and Valldemossa in Mallorca
• Palma de Mallorca

• Beaches and Las Dalias Market in Ibiza
• Ses Illetes beach in Formentera

- Galicia

• Santiago de Compostela in Galicia
• Costa da Morte
• Baiona, Islas Cíes and more Beaches in Galicia
• Tui and Camino de Santiago Portugués

- Zaragoza, La Rioja and Navarra

• Monasterio de Piedra near Zaragoza
• Haro in La Rioja
• Laguardia in La Rioja Alavesa
• Camino de Santiago Francés
• Estella and Los Arcos in Navarra
• Tarazona, Veruela Monastery and Sanctuary of Borja

- Alicante

• Alicante, Elche and Isla de Tabarca

BARCELONA GOTHIC QUARTER: SANTA MARIA DEL PI

After having spoken about the lovely Plaça del Rei in a previous post, today I would like to show you another charming square inside the Barcelona Gothic Quarter: La Plaça del Pi.

This nice square is located in front of a jewel of Catalan Gothic Architecture: Santa Maria del Pi. This church, together with Santa Maria del Mar basilica and the Cathedral of Barcelona, are the most important gothic religious buildings in Barcelona. There is also another nice example of catalan gothic style in Barcelona: Pedralbes monastery.

Main facade of Santa Maria del Pi, one of the most important gothic churches in Barcelona. Els Pintors del Pi (Pi painters) also appear showing their paintings

You will find these artists on saturdays (from 11am to 8pm) and on sundays (from 11am to 2pm) showing their paintings at La Plaça del Pi, a lovely square in Barcelona Gothic Quarter

From Plaça del Pi I took this picture of the gothic rose window of Santa Maria del Pi

Gothic archivolts of the main entrance to Santa Maria del Pi. The tympanum is divided by two small columns into three arched areas. In the central area is a statue of the Virgin and Child

The bell tower, built in octogonal shape, is one of the characteristics elements of the gothic church of Santa Maria del Pi

Inside the gothic church of Santa Maria del Pi, one of the most beautiful gothic churches you can visit in Barcelona

Altar of Santa Maria del Pi in Barcelona

Finally, a nostalgic look of Plaça del Pi, a lovely square which shows the essence of the Barcelona Gothic Quarter

Gothic chuch of Santa Maria del Pi lit at night in Barcelona

If you like gothic architecture, you would be interested in visiting the following religious buildings in Barcelona:

• Cathedral of Barcelona 
• Church of Santa Maria del Mar
• Santa Anna church
• Sant Just i Pastor church
• Sant Pere de les Puelles church

In the old city of Barcelona you can also visit other beautiful places:

• Plaça del Rei
• Sant Felip Neri Square and Church
• Plaça Reial
• Barcino Roman City
• El Portal de L'Angel
• La Rambla
• El Raval
• Call Jueu (Jewish Quarter)
• Born-La Ribera district
• Carrer Petritxol

Next, some useful information in case you want to visit this lovely church:

- Address: Pl. del Pi, 7
- How to get there:

• Metro L3: stop Liceu.
• Bus: 14, 59 and 91.

- Web site: www.parroquiadelpi.com
- Opening time: Daily, from 9.30am to 1pm and 5pm to 8.30pm.

Finally, clicking on the next link you will find more links to other beautiful places in Barcelona, among them, more nice squares in the Gothic Quarter.